


Pros and Cons of Living in a 21st Century Home

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adjusting, Gen, Home, Nostalgia, Prank Phone Calls, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-22
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 08:18:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/937709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For this prompt at comment-fic on livejournal: "Avengers, Steve Rogers (+ any), the little things that don't exist anymore, and the little things that do"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pros and Cons of Living in a 21st Century Home

**Pro:** Steve likes answering machines. 

The idea just makes sense. It's too easy to miss a phone call. He has a cell, but he also has a landline. Because how can somebody not have a phone?

So he likes his landline and he likes his answering machine. Even if it's not like he gets all that many messages.

Not counting the ones from Tony. Who keeps leaving prank messages. That are obviously from Tony.

But prank calls were invented a long time ago. So Steve knows how to make them too. 

Which is why Tony was now convinced that that chess playing computer has a crush on JARVIS. In fact, Tony was becoming quite overprotective about the whole situation. 

Steve told JARVIS before playing the prank of course -- no reason to lead the poor guy on. But JARVIS was amused enough to agree to go along with the prank. If artificial intelligences can be 'amused.' 

Philosophical questions aside, Steve was pretty sure that JARVIS was very, very amused.

 

 **Con:** Steve doesn't like refrigerators. Yes, they had them in Steve's time. Or rather, rich people had them. 

Steve grew up using an icebox.

There were few things more satisfying than chiseling off big crooked chunks of ice to put in the biggest glass you could find, and filling it up with water from the tap on a sweltering hot day.

Getting ice cubes from the ice maker in the door was less hands-on. And louder. And often involved going into the mechanism to clear the blocked passage in a delicate, careful fashion. 

Not nearly as fun.

Plus, Agent Hill told him that people drink bottled or filtered water these days, not the stuff from the tap. 

Steve was glad when Natasha and Clint told him that that was crap. 

 

 **Pro:** Coffee makers. The kind that make really, really good coffee.

Steve's was a gift from Coulson. 

It almost made Steve feel like a traitor, liking his coffee more than the swill at his favorite diners (then or now). 

Almost. But not quite.

It really was damn good coffee.

 

 **Con:** Steve complained once that he didn't like energy efficient light bulbs as much as the old fashioned kind. The glow was different, he claimed.

Tony scowled at him, and Steve didn't know why.

The next day, a large crate of Stark Industries Energy Future light bulbs showed up at Steve's apartment. Apparently Tony was quite offended that Steve tried a lesser brand over his.

Steve had to admit, though. The light shone like the old-fashioned kind. 

He called Tony to thank him. Tony said "You're welcome" and proceeded to ask Steve advice on how to convey a sense of old-fashioned courtship rules to computers. Because he may have sowed his wild oats, but he didn't want his AIs to do the same.

Steve, with great effort, managed not to laugh.

 

 **Pro:** Steve has a nicely decorated apartment. He has plenty of space all to himself.

 

 **Con:** Steve sometimes looks around his large, empty apartment and realizes: he has all this space, and he's all by himself.

 

 **Pro/Con:** Steve's teammates notice that he has plenty of room and take the opportunity to invite themselves over to watch football games, relax after missions, watch DVDs, or order pizza. 

Steve finds it rather annoying but is too polite to say anything. He is very, very patient with his new teammates, trying hard to be the kind of leader that they all are happy to follow. He knows from experience that camaraderie makes a difference in the field, so he puts up with their constant visits. 

Many, many visits. 

Eventually, though, it gets to the point that when no one on his team is around, the place feels too quiet. 

After three years of being accustomed to silence, Steve finally remembers: sometimes, it's having other people around that makes you feel like you're home.

At that point, Steve realizes how glad he is to have lots of space, lots of good coffee to offer his friends, and a refrigerator full of food his friends can pilfer. 

It makes him feel like his new place is exactly right.


End file.
